Ron Carter
Ron Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double-bassist. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist who has recorded numerous times on that instrument.class=artist|id=p6251/biography|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic biography He was elected to the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame in 2012. Carter was born in Ferndale, Michigan. He started to play cello at the age of 10, but when his family moved to Detroit, he ran into difficulties regarding the racial stereotyping of classical musicians and instead moved to bass. He attended the historic Cass Technical High School in Detroit, and, later, the Eastman School of Music, where he played in its Philharmonic Orchestra. He gained his bachelor's degree at Eastman in 1959, and in 1961 a master's degree in double bass performance from the Manhattan School of Music. His first jobs as a jazz musician were with Jaki Byard and Chico Hamilton. His first records were made with Eric Dolphy (another former member of Hamilton's group) and Don Ellis, in 1960. His own first date as leader, Where?, with Dolphy and Mal Waldron and a date also with Dolphy called Out There with George Duvivier and Roy Haynes and Carter on cello; its advanced harmonies and concepts were in step with the third stream movement. Carter came to fame via the second great Miles Davis quintet in the early 1960s, which also included Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Tony Williams. Carter joined Davis's group in 1963, appearing on the album Seven Steps to Heaven and the follow-up E.S.P., the latter being the first album to feature only the full quintet. It also featured three of Carter's compositions (the only time he contributed compositions to Davis's group). He stayed with Davis until 1968 (when he was replaced by Dave Holland), and participated in a couple of studio sessions with Davis in 1969 and 1970. Although he played electric bass occasionally during this period, he has subsequently eschewed that instrument entirely, and now plays only acoustic bass. Carter was close to Davis and even revealed to an interviewer in 1966 that the famous trumpeter's favorite color was fuchsia.http://danouellette.artistshare.com/default.aspx Carter also performed on some of Hancock, Williams and Shorter's recordings during the sixties for Blue Note Records. He was a sideman on many Blue Note recordings of the era, playing with Sam Rivers, Freddie Hubbard, Duke Pearson, Lee Morgan, McCoy Tyner, Andrew Hill, Horace Silver and others. After leaving Davis, Carter was for several years a mainstay of CTI Records, making albums under his own name and also appearing on many of the label's records with a diverse range of other musicians. Notable musical partnerships in the '70s and '80s included Joe Henderson, Houston Person, Hank Jones, and Cedar Walton. During the 1970s he was a member of the New York Jazz Quartet. He appears on the alternative hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest's influential album The Low End Theory on a track called "Verses from the Abstract". He also appears as a member of the jazz combo the Classical Jazz Quartet. In 1994, Carter appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by TIME. In 2001, Carter collaborated with Black Star and John Patton to record "Money Jungle" for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, Red Hot + Indigo, a tribute to Duke Ellington. Carter was Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Music Department of The City College of New York, having taught there for twenty years,Ron Carter Official Website and received an honorary Doctorate from the Berklee College of Music, in Spring 2005.http://www.berklee.edu/about/honorary.html He joined the faculty of the Juilliard School in New York City in 2008, teaching bass in the school's Jazz Studies program. Carter made a notable appearance in Robert Altman's 1996 film, Kansas City. The end credits feature him and fellow bassist Christian McBride duetting on "Solitude". Ron Carter sits on the Advisory Committee of the Board of Directors of The Jazz Foundation of America as well as the Honorary Founder's Committee.jerryjazzmusician.com. 2009-13-10. URL: http://www.jerryjazzmusician.com/mainHTML.cfm?page=storfer.html. Accessed: 2009-13-10. (Archived by jerryjazzmusician.com at http://www.jerryjazzmusician.com/mainHTML.cfm?page=storfer.html) Carter has worked with the Jazz Foundation since its inception to save the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians including musicians that survived Hurricane Katrina.ireport.com. 2009-13-10. URL: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-337150. Accessed: 2009-13-10. (Archived by ireport.com at http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-337150) Carter appeared as himself in an episode of the HBO series Treme entitled "What Is New Orleans." Carter's authorized biography, Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes, by Dan Ouellette was published by ArtistShare in 2008. In 2013, Carter was one of four judges at Jazz at Lincoln Center's 18th Annual Essentially Ellington competition and festival. Discography As leader * 1961: Where? (Prestige Records) with Eric Dolphy, Charlie Persip, Mal Waldron, George Duvivier * 1966: Out Front (Prestige) * 1969: Uptown Conversation (Embryo Records) * 1973: Blues Farm (CTI) * 1973: All Blues (CTI) * 1974: Spanish Blue (CTI) * 1975: Anything Goes (Kudu) * 1976: Yellow & Green (CTI) * 1976: Pastels (Milestone) * 1977: Piccolo (Milestone) * 1977: Third Plane (Milestone) * 1978: 1+3 (JVC) trio live with Hank Jones or Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams * 1978: A Song For You * 1978: Peg Leg (Milestone) * 1978: Standard Bearers * 1979: Parade * 1980: New York Slick (Milestone) * 1980: Patrao * 1980: Empire Jazz * 1980: Pick 'Em (Milestone) * 1981: Super Strings (Milestone) * 1990: Carnaval * 1991: Meets Bach (Blue Note) * 1992: Friends (Blue Note) * 1994: Jazz, My Romance (Blue Note) * 1995: Mr. Bow Tie (Blue Note) * 1995: Brandenburg Concerto (Blue Note) * 1997: The Bass and I * 1998: So What (Blue Note) trio with Kenny Barron and Lewis Nash * 1999: Orfeu (Blue Note) * 2001: When Skies Are Grey (Blue Note) * 2002: Stardust (Blue Note) * 2003: The Golden Striker (Blue Note) * 2003: Eight Plus * 2003: Ron Carter Plays Bach * 2006: Live at The Village Vanguard * 2007: Dear Miles featuring his quartet Stephen Scott, piano, Payton Crossley, drums and Roger Squitero, percussion * 2008: Jazz and Bossa * 2011: Ron Carter's Great Big Band (Sunnyside Records) As sideman With Pepper Adams *''Encounter!'' (Prestige, 1968) With Toshiko Akiyoshi *''Toshiko at Top of the Gate'' (1968) With Gene Ammons *''The Black Cat!'' (Prestige, 1970) *''My Way'' (Prestige, 1971) *''Got My Own'' (Prestige, 1972) *''Big Bad Jug'' (Prestige, 1972) With Gato Barbieri *''Chapter Three: Viva Emiliano Zapata'' (Impulse!, 1974) *''Chapter Four: Alive in New York'' (Impulse!, 1975) With George Benson *''Giblet Gravy'' (1968) With Bob Brookmeyer *''Bob Brookmeyer and Friends'' (1962) With Kenny Burrell *''A Generation Ago Today'' (Verve, 1967) *''Blues - The Common Ground'' (Verve, 1968) *''Night Song'' (Verve, 1969) *''God Bless the Child'' (CTI, 1971) With Henry Butler *''The Village'' (Impulse!, 1987) With Jaki Byard *''Here's Jaki'' (New Jazz, 1961) *''Hi-Fly'' (New Jazz, 1962) *''Out Front!'' (Prestige, 1964) *''Jaki Byard with Strings!'' (Prestige, 1968) With Donald Byrd *''Electric Byrd'' (Blue Note, 1970) *''Kofi'' (Blue Note, 1969–70) With Billy Cobham *''Spectrum'' (1973) With Alice Coltrane *''Ptah, The El Daoud'' (Impulse!, 1970) With Harry Connick, Jr. *''Harry Connick Jr.'' (1987) With Chick Corea *''Inner Space'' (Atlantic, 1973) With Tadd Dameron *''The Magic Touch'' (Riverside 1962) With Miles Davis *''Quiet Nights'' (Columbia, 1962) *''Four & More'' *''My Funny Valentine'' *"Live in Milan 1964" *''Live at the Plugged Nickel'' *''Miles Smiles'' *''ESP'' *''Miles in the Sky'' *''Seven Steps to Heaven'' *''Sorcerer'' *''Filles de Kilimanjaro'' *''Water Babies'' *''Nefertiti'' With Eli Degibri *''Israeli Song'' (2010) With Paul Desmond *''Summertime'' (A&M/CTI, 1968) *''From the Hot Afternoon'' (A&M/CTI, 1969) *''Bridge Over Troubled Water'' (A&M/CTI, 1970) *''Skylark'' (CTI, 1973) *''Pure Desmond'' (CTI, 1975) With Eric Dolphy *''Out There'' (Prestige, 1960) *''Far Cry'' (Prestige, 1960) With Lou Donaldson *''Lush Life'' (1967) *''Sophisticated Lou'' (1973) With Charles Earland *''Kharma'' (Prestige, 1974) With Don Ellis *''How Time Passes'' (Candid, 1960) *''New Ideas'' (New Jazz, 1961) With Art Farmer *''The Many Faces of Art Farmer'' (Scepter, 1964) With Roberta Flack *''First Take'' (1970) *''Quiet Fire (1971) *Killing Me Softly'' (1973) With Bill Frisell *''Bill Frisell, Ron Carter, Paul Motian'' (Nonesuch, 2006) With Johnny Frigo *''Live from Studio A in New York City'' (1988) With Red Garland *''Red Garland's Piano'' (1957) With Stan Getz *''Voices'' (1967) With Astrud Gilberto *''Gilberto with Turrentine'' with Stanley Turrentine (CTI, 1971) With Giorgio *''Party Of The Century'' (2010) With Benny Golson *''Pop + Jazz = Swing'' (Audio Fidelity, 1961) - also released as Just Jazz! *''Free'' (Argo, 1962) With Johnny Griffin *''White Gardenia'' (Riverside, 1961) *''The Kerry Dancers'' (Riverside, 1961–62) With Jim Hall *''Concierto'' (CTI, 1975) *''Live at Village West'' (1984) *''Telephone'' (1985) *''Alone Together'' (1986) With Chico Hamilton *''The Further Adventures of El Chico'' (Impulse!, 1966) With Johnny Hammond *''Wild Horses Rock Steady'' (Kudu, 1971) *''The Prophet'' (Kudu, 1972) *''Higher Ground'' (Kudu, 1973) With Herbie Hancock *''Empyrean Isles'' (Blue Note) *''Maiden Voyage'' (Blue Note) *''Speak Like a Child'' (Blue Note) *''VSOP'' (Columbia) *''Quartet'' (Columbia, 1981) With Barry Harris *''Magnificent!'' (Prestige, 1969) With Eddie Harris *''The In Sound'' (Atlantic, 1965) *''Mean Greens'' (Atlantic, 1966) *''The Tender Storm'' (Atlantic, 1966) *''Plug Me In'' (Atlantic, 1968) *''Excursions'' (Atlantic, 1966–73) *''How Can You Live Like That?'' (Atlantic, 1976) With Gene Harris *''Gene Harris of the Three Sounds'' (Blue Note, 1972) With Coleman Hawkins *''Night Hawk'' (Swingville, 1960) *''The Hawk Relaxes'' (Moodsville, 1961) With Joe Henderson *''Power to the People'' (Milestone) *''The State of the Tenor, Vols. 1 & 2'' (Blue Note) With Andrew Hill *''Grass Roots'' (Blue Note, 1968) *''Lift Every Voice'' (Blue Note, 1969) *''Passing Ships'' (Blue Note, 1969) With Freddie Hubbard *''Red Clay'' (CTI, 1970) *''Straight Life'' (CTI, 1970) *''First Light'' (CTI, 1971) With Bobby Hutcherson *''Components'' (Blue Note, 1965) With Jackie and Roy *''Time & Love'' (CTI, 1972) With Milt Jackson *''Big Bags'' (Riverside, 1962) *''Invitation'' (Riverside, 1962) *''Milt Jackson at the Museum of Modern Art'' (Limelight, 1965) *''Milt Jackson and the Hip String Quartet'' (Verve, 1968) *''Sunflower'' (CTI, 1972) *''Goodbye'' (CTI, 1973) *''Olinga'' (CTI, 1974) With Ivan "Boogaloo Joe" Jones *''Introducing the Psychedelic Soul Jazz Guitar of Joe Jones'' (Prestige, 1967) *''Black Whip'' (Prestige, 1973) With Quincy Jones *''Gula Matari'' (CTI, 1970) With Sam Jones *''Down Home'' (Riverside, 1962) With Steve Kuhn and Gary McFarland *''The October Suite'' (Impulse!, 1966) With Yusef Lateef *''The Three Faces of Yusef Lateef'' (Riverside, 1960) With Hubert Laws *''Laws' Cause'' (Atlantic, 1968) *''Crying Song'' (CTI, 1969) *''Afro-Classic'' (CTI, 1970) *''The Rite of Spring'' (CTI, 1971) *''Wild Flower'' (Atlantic, 1972) *''Morning Star'' (CTI, 1972) *''Carnegie Hall'' (CTI, 1973) *''In the Beginning'' (CTI, 1974) *''The Chicago Theme'' (CTI, 1974) With Junior Mance *''Happy Time'' (Jazzland, 1962) With Herbie Mann *''Glory of Love'' (CTI, 1967) With Helen Merrill *''Duets'' (1987) With Wes Montgomery *''So Much Guitar'' (1961) *''Tequila'' *''California Dreaming'' With Airto Moreira *''Free'' (CTI, 1972) With Oliver Nelson *''Sound Pieces'' (1966) *''Happenings'' (1966) With David "Fathead" Newman *''Mr. Gentle Mr. Cool : A Tribute To Duke Ellington'' (1994, Kokopelli Records) With the New York Jazz Quartet *''In Concert in Japan'' (1975) With Hermeto Pascoal *''Hermeto'' (1971) *Slaves Mass (1976) With Duke Pearson *''Sweet Honey Bee'' (Blue Note, 1966) With Houston Person *''Sweet Buns & Barbeque'' (Prestige, 1972) With Austin Peralta *''Maiden Voyage'' (2006) With Sam Rivers *''Fuchsia Swing Song'' (Blue Note, 1964) *''Contours'' (Blue Note, 1965) With Shirley Scott *''On a Clear Day'' (1966) *''Mystical Lady'' (Cadet, 1971) *''Superstition'' (Cadet, 1973) With Gil Scott-Heron *''Pieces of a Man'' (1972) With Don Sebesky *''Giant Box'' (CTI, 1973) *''The Rape of El Morro'' (CTI, 1975) With Marlena Shaw *''From the Depths of My Soul'' (1973) With Wayne Shorter *''Speak No Evil'' (Blue Note, 1964) *''The All Seeing Eye'' (Blue Note, 1965) With Horace Silver *''Silver 'n Brass'' (Blue Note, 1975) *''Silver 'n Wood'' (Blue Note, 1976) *''Silver 'n Voices'' (Blue Note, 1976) *''Silver 'n Percussion'' (Blue Note, 1977) *''Silver 'n Strings Play the Music of the Spheres'' (Blue Note, 1978) *''The Hardbop Grandpop'' (1996) *''A Prescription for the Blues'' (1997) With Grace Slick *''Manhole'' (1973) With Phoebe Snow *''Second Childhood '' (1976) With Sonny Stitt *''Satan'' (Cadet, 1974) With Ed Summerlin *''Ring Out Joy'' (Avant-Garde, 1968) With Gábor Szabó *''Spellbinder'' (Impulse!, 1966) *''Mizrab'' (CTI, 1972) With Livingston Taylor *''In Harmony'' (1980) With Bobby Timmons *''In Person'' (1961) *''Born to Be Blue!'' (1963) *''The Soul Man!'' (1966) *''Got to Get It!'' (1967) With Charles Tolliver *''Paper Man'' (1969) - Black Lion Records With A Tribe Called Quest *''The Low End Theory'' (1991) With McCoy Tyner *''The Real McCoy'' (Blue Note) *''Expansions'' (Blue Note) *''Trident'' (Milestone) *''Counterpoints'' (Milestone) *''Fly with the Wind'' (Milestone) *''Supertrios'' *''Extensions'' With Mal Waldron *''The Quest'' (1961) With Grover Washington Jr. *''Inner City Blues'' (Kudu, 1971) *''All the King's Horses'' (Kudu, 1972) *''Soul Box'' (Kudu, 1973) With Randy Weston *''Uhuru Afrika'' (Roulette, 1960) *''Blue Moses'' (CTI, 1972) *''Tanjah'' (Polydor, 1973) With Kai Winding *''The Incredible Kai Winding Trombones'' (Impulse!, 1960) *''Israel'' (A&M/CTI, 1968) with J. J. Johnson *''Betwixt & Between'' (A&M/CTI, 1969) with J. J. Johnson *''Stonebone'' (A&M/CTI (Japan), 1969) with J. J. Johnson Filmography * 2003: Ron Carter & Art Farmer: Live at Sweet Basil with Cedar Walton and Billy HigginsVIEW DVD Listing * 2002: Herbie Hancock Trio: Hurricane! with Ron Carter and Billy CobhamVIEW DVD Listing References External links *Ron Carter Official Website *Interview with Ron Carter *2006 Interview with Ron Carter *Interview with Ron Carter (2007) *Ron Carter at All About Jazz *Bassist Ron Carter, an Interview With Editor Jake Kot *Ron Carter's dedicated page on the Party Of The Century project *Video interview with Ron Carter at allaboutjazz.com Category:Bassists